Jordan Threatens 'Firm Measures' Over Judge's Death

Jordan says it will take “firm measures” against Israel in the wake of the death of a judge who was shot dead trying to carry out an attack.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 3/11/2014, 5:14 AM

Allenby Crossing

Flash 90

Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs, Mohammad Momani, said on Monday night that the country will take “firm measures” against Israel after a Jordanian judge was killed by an Israeli soldier along the border when he tried to carry out a terrorist attack, the Xinhua news agency reports.

According to the report, Momani told Jordanian television that the government is awaiting the results of an Israeli investigation into the shooting of the judge at the Allenby Crossing and is expected to receive the results by Tuesday afternoon.

"We are following up the investigation. When we get the results we will announce firm measures. We also take measures against those involved in the killing of the judge," he declared, according to Xinhua.

The judge, who has been identified 38-year-old Raed Zeiter of Shechem, was shot to death when he attempted to wrestle a soldier's gun away from him, leading the soldier to defend himself and in doing so shoot the attacker to death.

A Jordanian security official said Zeiter worked as a judge at a magistrates court in the Jordanian capital of Amman, a claim the Jordanian justice ministry reportedly confirmed. The attacker's father, Alaa Zeiter, stated he didn't know his son was crossing to Samaria.

As the minister spoke on TV, hundreds of Jordanians gathered near the Israeli embassy in Amman and some tried to break into the embassy. Jordanian security forces closed all roads leading to the embassy and prevented the demonstrators from approaching it, according to Xinhua.

Following the incident, Jordan's Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli charge d'affaires in Amman, calling on the Israeli government to immediately start an investigation into the incident.